Blind Man's Bluff
I have never really liked sports. They always end the same way, one team is gonna win, one team is gonna lose. As many of you know I'm the oldest of four boys, and unlike me, the other three have always liked/been involved with sports.
There is a middle school close to my house called Ridgeview. Now Ridgeview has a ton of baseball fields. One of the back fields is located right next to a bridge that goes over a train track. Whenever the boys would have a game at Ridgeview I would just walk around, and not really watch the game. But one day when I was about 13, my brother Luke, had a game at that back most field and mom asked me to come and watch the game.
We had run out of chairs so mom gave me the keys to the car and told me that there was a blanket in the trunk. This would be a decision that mom would soon learn to regret. I walked all the way back to the parking lot, got to mom's honda odyssey, opened the trunk, grabbed the blanket, and started to return. I wasn't looking at where I was going when suddenly a baseball fence just appeared out of nowhere and I ran into it. I stepped backward and tripped over myself and fell on my back.
I laid there, contemplating all the bad decisions that led me to this moment. This is when three beautiful girls stood around me in a circle and looked down. The leader of this group of girls asked me if I was okay, and I blushed. There are so many things I could have said, “Yeah I’m ok… I wasn't looking where I was going.” Or “Yeah I'm fine- I'm just kind of a klutz.” But no, I had to be weird. I don't even know where I came up with the idea to say this, but the words that tumbled out of my mouth were, “Umm… Umm…. Umm… I’m blind.” and they believed me!
So these girls picked me up and started leading me around the ball fields trying to help me find my parents. All the while I’m trying to lead them anywhere, but to the bridge where my parents actually are. At the same time my brother Ryan, and the now lead singer in his band, Will were in the batting cages. Will who was about to throw a ball to Ryan, saw me out of the corner of his eye, turned to look at me, and mouthed “What the heck?!” In response, I winked at him and went on my merry way.
I don’t remember exactly how I got out of this specific situation. I would eventually try to pull off the same thing at a later game, where I totally learned my lesson not to pretend I’m something I’m not. The second time I tried this, hoping that some cute girls might come to my aid, an old concerned lady took me to the first aid station insisting that I must be dehydrated!
A few months ago I was bagging at Kroger. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and it was one of my bosses. “Mitchell,” he said pointing, “Could you help that gentleman around the store.” I look where he was pointing and saw that standing at the customer service desk was a blind man…
To be continued
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
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